September i, 1891.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
181 
extension of the industry. The supply of timber 
and fuel is abundant and within reasonable distance 
of the cultivated area. Notwithstanding there is 
great irregularity in the growth and development of 
the tea, duo to planting by village labour. Mr. 
Grigson saye the yield next year should be about 
180,000, lb. with a prospect of a little more it the sea- 
son is a specially favorable one. This year the esti- 
mate is 90,000 lb., but the superintendent expects this 
to be exceeded. The average price obtained for such 
of the present crop as has been sold (37,190 lb.) is 
4(5 per lb. nett. This, Mr. Grigson says, is a better 
result than would be expected from the low- 
country generally, and is therefore a feature 
of distinct promise. There has been nothing 
exceptional in the treatment of the bushes the 
desire being to get as much out of the tea, both 
old and young, as can legitimately be taken. The 
rate for transport of tea is 11 cent per lb. delivered 
at Colombo ; and the continuation of the seaside 
railway will further facilitalo the transport of 
supplies and produce, already easy and inexpen- 
sive. In regard to labour the V. A. states that 
Talgaswella enjoys exceptional advantages. Sin- 
halese village labour is abundant. The wages 
are exceedingly moderate, the rates being ; For 
men about 2SO. per diem against Tamil 33o. women 
aud children 6o. to 12o.; sgainsl 15o, to 2oC. ; the 
average of the check-roll being about 18a. The cost 
of plucking to date is a little under So. per lb. 
of made tea, which may be reduced in future 
years to 7 and perhaps 0 according to the yield. 
The jdt of tea is a good deal mixed; and for 
a lowoountry estate Mr, Grigson thinks a finer 
class of hybrid might, with advantage, have been 
selected. No bad seed, however, has been imt 
in; the chief sources of supply being gardens of 
good local reputation. One field of the two year 
old tea was planted with transplanters, and being 
an exoellunt jat (Manipuri) is a clearing of distinct 
promise. Mr. Grigson concludes a very lengthy 
report by referring to the expenditure aud receipts, 
and calculating the net value of next year’s crop 
at 42o. says there should be a considerable sur- 
plus at the close of the 1892 season, but against 
this will have to appear the deficit of 1891, caused 
by the expenditure of about B13,000 lor new 
machinery. 
■ ♦ 
GEAIN CROPS m CEYLON. 
Prom the abstract of season reports for July 
1891 published in the Gazette we learn that in 
the Western Province the paddy crop prospects 
were generally good, except in Kalutaraand Pana- 
dura Totamunes, where there had been slight 
damage by fioods, but fair crops were expected. 
In the Central Proviuoe also the prospects of the 
yala harvest were generally good, as well also 
those of kurakkan. The only exception was Uda- 
palata, the report on which was : — “ Yala fields 
where crop was ripeniog have been submerged or 
^maged by heavy floods on the 16th instant. 
Younger plants elsewhere have been damaged by 
insects.” In the Northern Province the prospects 
and conditions of crops were generally fair. In 
the Kadagoda, Talpe, and Ahangama divisions 
of the Talpe pattu the paddy crop was bad owing 
to want of rain and deslruotiou by flies. In 
portions of the Matara district the crops were 
partly damaged by rain, and in some parts of the 
Hambantota district flies as well as rain had caused 
damage. From the Batticaloa district of the 
Eastern Province the report was "Cultivation for 
ettalai nearly over : not quite so extensive as ex- 
peoted owing to long spell of dry weather and 
fear tank water will not last though ample 
lor present requirements. Pinmari crops not yet 
threshed and brought to market. Price of paddy 
remains as in last month, viz., Bl’45 in town 
market. Export of paddy ooaetwiso over 60,000 
bnsbels to date this year. Good sale of land for. 
paddy nnder Ohadayantalawa. Cattle hoof. and- 
mouth disease disappeared.” From Trinoomaleo 
district the report was; — ‘‘Pinmari cultivation in 
progress, but condition preoarious owing to short 
supply in tanks ; as usual, rains have so far failed 
and weather very dry. Small cultivation in Kattu- 
kulam baa failed. Cattle healthy ; murrain dis- 
appeared ; no foot-and-mouth disease. Price of 
paddy Rl'50 per bushel.” fn the North Western 
Province the oonditiona aud prospects of paddy 
and line grain crops were good. In the North- 
Central Province the condition of the paddy crops 
was good, and that of fine grain lair. From the 
Province of Uva the report was " Crops through- 
out Udukinda, Yatikinda, and Wiyaluwa except 
tionally good, and weather for harvesting favourable. 
Crops in Wellassa and Butala . promising. In 
fiintenna and Wellawaya the paddy crops damaged 
by flies.” In the Province of Sabaragamuwa the 
paddy prospeota wore good or middling, except in 
Panawal Eorale and Uduwepalata of Lower Bulat- 
gama, where the prospeota were poor, crops having 
been damaged by recent heavy rains. 
THE ORIENTAL BANK ESTATES 
COMPANY. 
The fifth annual ordinary general meeting of the 
above company was held at Winchester House, Old 
Broad-street, Loudon, on the 22ud instant. Mr. Alex, 
William Oriohton presided. 
The Seorotary (Mr. Henry Greey) having read the 
notice convening the meeting — 
The OiiAinMAN said ; Gentlemen,'! presume, as usual, 
that it will be your pleasure that the report and 
baiauoe-sbeot bn taken as read. In placing this report 
and balanoe-sbeet before you at itliis tlio fifth annual 
meotiog of tbo oumpany, we have some autiafac- 
tion in being able thus to close a year which 
has in its oonr.so given us and our managers some 
an.xioty. Now, as to the causes for this, we bare 
tbougUt it rightiuour report frankly to state yon— as, 
indeed, bos been done by the directors of naauy other 
companies interested in Eastern produce tliia year to 
their aliareholders — the diftioultie.s which we have had 
to enoounter, snd which, though they may have been 
temporary and incidental in their nature, have still 
been made very remarkable by their ooinoidenoe and 
their combination. In the first place, ss to Mauritins. 
In most of the districts of that island the yield of the 
cuuceiu sugar was folly 20 per cent, below the average; 
and while on the one hand the sugar was thus deficient, 
the prices, on the other, obtainable for it when brought 
to sale, wore cxnoedingly low. Nor wore the reasons 
for these low prices far to seek. The money market 
had been in a ststo of violent fluotusliou Irom Sep- 
tember lor some mouths onwards, aud, besides this, 
reports ivete current that largo ebipmonts of boot sugar 
had been made from Europe to Bombay aud Calcutta ; 
and henoo tho fear arose that these and other available 
markets would bo swamped aud glutted. It was> 1" 
the truth that these shipments had been made. The ex- 
periment was tried some years ago and tailed, but a 
further trial was resolved upon, and was insdo last year 
on a larger scale. ‘That also failed, hut, nevertheles.-', 
in the meantimo, tho effect of thtae reports and these 
rumours in Mauritius was to check sll competition 
for, and speculation in, the native sugars, which were 
then just being brought for sale to the market. So 
that at the very time when every factory in tho island- 
devoted as it is to the manufacture of sugar — was 
WQrldhg RhB Miii in o»6$a day and night 
